Every summer feels like it marches along faster than the previous summer. In reality, each summer has the same number of days, hours and minutes, so it doesn't move any faster or slower. It comes down to how we fill that time. 

Nature has a way of reminding us that time does march on, and when we see something of interest, we should quickly pay attention to it. Things in nature are fleeting. Baby birds only stay in the nest for so many weeks. The landscape only stays green for so long before the heat of summer dries out the grasses. And flowers only bloom for so many days before they too have wilted into memory, not to return again for another 9, 10 or 11 months. 

This year I had hoped to document what I saw blooming in Rocky Mountain National Park on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Well, here we are at the end of July and I am sharing my first post. Hmmm, feels like summer is moving too fast to me!

But here is my report about what is blooming in Rocky Mountain National Park. These images, other than the ones on the tundra, are roadside flowers in the lower valleys. I wanted to share these first because those are the ones that are fading the quickest right now. They are past their prime in most locations so if you want to get out and see them, now is the time. 

And to help you plan out some wildflower searching for next year, here are some tips for timing on some of the favorite flowers in the park:

- Wild iris: mid to late June; very dependent on the amount of moisture as these flowers love water

- Golden banner: June; this bright yellow flower is abundant in the park and can be found at different times depending on elevation

- Locoweed: early July; this colorful plant in shades of pink, purple and white can be found in meadows in early July

- Old Man of the Mountain/Alpine sunflower: early July; the iconic golden flower of the tundra is most prolific on dry years

- Paintbrush: July and into early August; depending on the elevation and variety

- Larkspur: late July; not abundant in the park but in areas where it grows, it blooms for about ten days

Moose_RMNP_2021_13A growing moose calf (Alces alces) feeds on fireweed in the burn area of the East Troublesome Fire in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Right now, in late July and into early August, you can find fireweed blooming.

Mountain harebells, those dainty bell-shaped purple flowers, are common along roadsides in the lower elevations.

Cinquefoil, the shrubby bush with the yellow flowers, blooms in late July through early August. 

The happy Black-eyed Susans are blooming right now in several areas at about 8500 feet. 

Sneezeweed – I just love the visual on that name – is fleeting but you might catch a few still blooming in marshy areas.

Showy daisy, or fleabane, is a late-season flower that is common throughout the park along trails, roads and in meadows.

Tundra plants include alpine phlox, a short mat of flowers in pale lavender and white, and alpine avens, the latter being a popular plant with pikas, who use this flower for its food caches to survive the winter.

Hope you enjoy the color you find in the park, but remember it won't last forever. Although our next season – autumn –  is the most colorful of the year, it too doesn't last long, giving us only three to four weeks to take advantage of its beauty.